Lifetime Member

I've had it less than a year. Not sure...I will have to call AP.com and ask. When I turn off the timer to which the solenoid is connected, it doesn't shut off. It slowly still flows which I see through the BC.

I unplugged it and took it apart. Just to make sure all it was connected correctly. It was connected right, so no problems there.

I turned off the timer after I reconnected to see if the flow stopped. It slowed down, but it didn't shut off. I will remove the BC, turn up the reg to 50 PSI, and then turn the bottle off and on a few times to dislodge anything that may block the flow.

Lifetime Member

... I turned off the timer after I reconnected to see if the flow stopped. It slowed down, but it didn't shut off. I will remove the BC, turn up the reg to 50 PSI, and then turn the bottle off and on a few times to dislodge anything that may block the flow.

Hopefully this will work....

Click to expand...

It sounds like there is trash in it keeping it from closing all the way. It would be best if you remove the needle valve too when you let it blow wide open. This way, when it blows, it blows hard to dislodge whatever is in there and then nothing gets trapped by the needle valve. If you don't want to remove the needle valve, open it wide open when you let it blow hard.

Lifetime Member

Assuming the valve is connected with the correct gas flow orientation, I would rule out debris. Are you using a steel tank or aluminum? Do you have a pre-filter installed in the GCA nipple or port? Did you clean out the 1/4" NPT regulator ports prior to install? DId you install the teflon tape properly?

Lifetime Member

I'm going to suggest you send the unit back to your distributor. I don't think trying to "fix it" yourself is a good idea. Have the professional engineers at Burkert USA figure out what is going on. If there is something wrong with it, they will find the issue and you will know. No guessing. If the unit happens to be defective (I haven't heard of one case of this being true), they can replace/repair.

I hope aquariumplants.com is honoring their side of the bargain when it comes to selling Burkert solenoids. They should be able to send defective units back for evaluation w/o issue. iprocessmart.com and freshwatersystems are authorized distributors of Burkert products. Not sure is aquariumplants.com is.

Lifetime Member

Matt this reg has been up and running for months with no issues. I connected everything properly. I will call them tomorrow and speak to them about it.

It's just not closing when the timer is off. The tank is aluminum, and yes there is a pre filter. The tank came from AP.com. Will let you guys know what they say. I purchased it in late March of this year, so I'm thinking there is a warranty.

Lifetime Member

Well I gave them a call, and he said that the seal probably had a piece of debris on it. I undid the screw and pulled the solenoid apart. The black O-Ring had a small tear in it. So I have a few questions.

1. Will me removing that small piece affect the rest of the O-Ring? Or do I need to get a new one?
2. What is the best way to clean off the rod in the solenoid?
3. Is there a lubricant that needs to be on the rod?

It doesn't slide apart easily. I remember when I first got it that it did.

Are you talking about where the coil slides on? There's nothing to worry about there. You need to remove those torx screws to get at the dirty part. If the o-ring that makes that seal is bad, you'll need to replace it. I doubt that one is bad though.

Lifetime Member

Well I gave them a call, and he said that the seal probably had a piece of debris on it. I undid the screw and pulled the solenoid apart. The black O-Ring had a small tear in it.

Click to expand...

It is defective then. Will AP.com or Burkert replace it or maybe send you the parts (O-ring, etc) to fix it yourself? The people at Burkert (engineers, quality control, etc) really need to know about it.

jerrybforl;89795 said:

So I have a few questions.

Click to expand...

My answers are really shooting from the hip rather than based on knowledge and experience. And, also depending on if AP.com or Burkert will replace your defective solenoid.

jerrybforl;89795 said:

1. Will me removing that small piece affect the rest of the O-Ring? Or do I need to get a new one?

Click to expand...

It needs the O-ring to seal properly. Do you still have the small broken piece? Burkert's might need it for investigation.

jerrybforl;89795 said:

2. What is the best way to clean off the rod in the solenoid?

Click to expand...

Contact Cleaner, I think.

jerrybforl;89795 said:

3. Is there a lubricant that needs to be on the rod?

Click to expand...

It might not be needed if a new O-ring is installed.

jerrybforl;89795 said:

It doesn't slide apart easily. I remember when I first got it that it did.

Lifetime Member

I called back to ask them the same questions. It seems they meant for me to take the whole thing apart. So I did, and it was a pain in the butt.

Few lessons I learned...

1. Have to ultra careful with these screws. Even with the right star heads, I had trouble with one of the screws. I stripped the one screw, and I ended up having to tap it out. I asked the guy, and assumed, if it would be ok with just the three screws holding it down. He said yes it should.

2. Be careful with your teflon tape. I had a small piece that was caught inside of the solenoid. GOOD CALL MATT!!!

3. Make sure you know how it goes back together. Once I bore out the last screw, the thing popped off. In retrospect, I should've put the other screws in snug to hold it down.

Here are some pics...

You can see the teflon tape hanging inside the solenoid.

The guy told me once it's running properly I would hear the buzzing of the solenoid. I put it all together, and then plugged it in and out. I couldn't hear a thing. I'm thinking great now its broken. So I put my ear to it, and I did it again. I could hear the buzzing and feel the heat off the solenoid.

I will put the reg on a bottle Monday or so, and I will check to see if it is working properly.

Lifetime Member

Hey guys it's not the black O-Ring that is inside the solenoid. It's the little one that slides over the rod. It was just a small snag that I simply removed.

I will test on Monday, and this will show me if I fixed it or not. I will post my results. It was a learning experience for me. I hope that I was able to give enough documentation to show people how to resolve the issue.

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